Chapter 6

Flashback time

Bowing their heads, the hobbits and Tenshi mumbled their apologies and took a pinch of floopowder from Minerva then spun back to the Vice-Headmistress's office. Stumbling from the fireplace, Aragorn was helped up by Legolas, who moved to stand beside Severus. After a quick tour of the castle, the group saw but forgot most of the classrooms, the common rooms and the teacher's offices. By that time, Tenshi was blue and she poked the rope in two with her claws then took a deep breath. She nodded in agreement with the others then McGonagall turned on her heel and walked away, leaving them in the Entrance Hall.

Aragorn and Gandalf went to their offices to arrange for their classes in two days. Gimli set off with Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor and gamekeeper, to Hogsmeade while the four hobbits romped across the grounds. Legolas strode down to the lake, watching as Tenshi climbed upon the giant squid's back. He looked in fascination as it carried her into the deep waters of the crystal clear, rippling lake and she lost her balance once or twice. He sat under the tree in the dark shade and, his eyes closing, leaned against its trunk.

The swishing of the leaves in the wind lulled the elf into a daze. Suddenly, as his senses were being dulled, there was a splash accompanied by a scream. Legolas's eyes snapped open as the noise jerked him from his reveré and he glanced at Tenshi. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Tenshi's head above the water, her arms failing. He gave a cry of shock and dashed knee deep into the icy-cold water, but Tenshi called for him to stop. Legolas halted, hi blonde hair blowing out of his face.

"I'm alright! The squid took a sharp corner and I slipped off then my foot got caught in the weeds. The squid's freeing my foot now," She called out.

The elf stood there, looking at the hanyou's head as it was submerged under the surface then reappeared and made its way towards land. The girl was shivering as she clambered onto the land and turned to the squid.

"Hannon le," said Tenshi, wrapping her arms around her. Thank you

The squid shook a tentacle and swam off as Tenshi spun round, visibly shaking now. The girl stood there for a second, and then started to walk towards the castle. Legolas ran over to her.

"Tenshi! Are you all right? You're shaking…" Legolas exclaimed, his voice dying as he reached her side.

The elf flung off his cloak, draped the grey-green cloth over the girl's shoulders then wrapped an arm round her. She stopped shivering on the most part, but her muscles tensed and she became ridged. She was like that until they got half way to the castle, then she stopped, despite the fact that she was freezing.

"Why do you try to kill me then help me?" asked the bewildered half demon.

Her voice was neither clod nor curious and Legolas dropped is arm, looking at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Tenshi stared into sea-blue eyes and felt her defensive stonewalls become marshmallow in minimal, ten seconds.

"You try to kill me then less than six hours, you're helping me. Why is that?" She inquired.

Legolas looked at her guiltily, remembering the first time her saw her, and frowned slightly. He thought she was an angel and she turned out to be a half demon, half priestess. But after he found out, it didn't change how he felt.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were an orc who had found its way to Lórien, but only since I could not have seen you."

Tenshi accepted that reply and started again, back up the lawn. Legolas followed, feeling a bit sad, and watched the shivering girl ascend the stairs. Suddenly, the hem of the cloak caught under her foot and she fell backwards without a sound. Legolas could tell from her surprised expression, as he caught her, that she didn't trip intentionally.

Tenshi's lips were ever so slightly blue, her eyes wide, cat-like pupils thin and fangs overlapping her lower lip. He smiled when he felt a little warmth emanate from her body and she tensed. He sat on the stairs, his back to the wind, and held Tenshi close to his chest. After a few moments, Tenshi pulled away and stumbled to her feet then continued up the stairs, Legolas staring in confusion at her back.. Making a mental note to ask Aragorn about her strange behavior, the blond elf darted quickly after the hanyou before asking if there was anything he could do to help.

Tenshi shook her head and kept on going towards the Griffindor Common room with pink cheeks. Legolas gave the girl one last glance before rushing off to Aragorn's office. It was on the first floor and he easily dodged the floating poltergeist, who attempted to pelt him with inkpots, as he reached the door. He tapped the door once with his knuckles and it sprang open to reveal a grinning healer. He took one glance at Legolas's face and ushered him into the room. It was small with a desk, three chairs and one wall of shelves covered with bottles and boxes of plants and herbs. A window overlooked the lake and green houses. Aragorn gave his friend a once over and sighed.

"Have you fallen for her, mellon-nîn?" He asked his best friend, who nodded sadly.

"She is not that trusting as the other elleths so I'm afraid you'll have to earn it. But she likes you, that much is certain," Aragorn said.

"How is that?"

"Well…er…she wouldn't have let you help her. The first time Elrond and I saw her, she would not let us come within arms length of her although she was very badly injured."

---Flashback---

Elrond turned toward the thump as Aragorn stepped cautiously forward. As he neared the dense bushes, Aragorn saw a young girl with deep gashes and stabs over her body. She stared at him in surprise and fear then dashed off on all fours in Elrond's direction. In mere seconds there was a cry of despair and she ran into a shadowy area of trees. The ranger drew his dagger and rushed after her. Tenshi's ears were pressed down onto her hair and she was cowering in the shadow of a dead tree, trying not to be spotted. Her crimson hair hid her face but two emerald cat-like eyes peeked out. It seemed that the green of her eyes glowed in the darkness. She let out a squeal as the man and elf approached her with concerned, distrusting faces.

"Please do not hurt me!" cried the girl in high-pitched Japanese.

To Elrond and Aragorn, the shrill cry sounded like orc-ish so the ranger leapt forwards to slash her with his weapon. The girl dodged with a strangled gasp and diverted her language to the only other language she knew, English.

"I…I mean no harm! Please do not strike me!"

Her voice was strained and her accuracy was off a bit, since she lost so much blood already. She made for the high branches but misses by a few inches. Scrabbling for footing on the rough bark, Tenshi reopened fatal wounds that had just scabbed, as she pulled herself up. Aragorn was trying to get to the girl as fast as possible as her ears twitched and she closed her eyes in pain. He still didn't believe that she was no orc.

When Aragorn got within arms length of her, the hanyou yelped, leapt down and began to run. She ran start into Elrond, who began muttering quick elvish, and she fell to the ground. As Elrond reached down to touch her, she curled into a ball, clutched her right forearm and whimpered, her eyes squeezed shut. Tenshi immediately collapsed when the Elvenking touched her forehead. Aragorn dropped to the ground and gave the tree a glare, as it snagged his shirt, then sighed.

"What is she? Is she evil?" He pondered.

Elrond shook his head as the ranger lifted the unconscious creature into his arms.

"Nay, she is not. Her fear was genuine and I doubt you sense evil around her."

"I sense both good and evil but the evil is like none I've seen before," pointed out the man.

Focusing on her glowing wounds, the Rivendell elf king furrowed his brow and hastened his pace. Tenshi felt as if her head would split in two when she awoke. Her arms, she could feel, were heavily bandaged as was her stomach and she was in a sitting position. She forced open her eyes and growled softly. The man and elf were wearily looking in her direction but seemed not to notice her. She trashed at the sheets, ripping them before jumping out of the bed. White tiles glared at her as she darted into a corner and stared longingly at the wide door behind the conversing people. After a few tense minutes, the dark brown haired elf nodded at her and she growled in her chest.

"Good evening, milady. What, pray tell, are you? Not to be rude…" Aragorn asked.

Tenshi gasped.

"Why am I not dead? You tried to kill me!" she shrieked angrily.

Elrond winced slightly and stepped to the front.

"I assure you that we were not attempting to hurt you, nor will we do so in the near future," said the Elvenking.

"Pffft! I'm sure!

Tenshi gave them a murderous glares and sat cross-legged on the floor, smoldering. Aragorn approached her warily, his exhaustion suddenly gone, and held out a hand to help her up but she recoiled immediately. She turned swiftly into a wolf cub and snapped at the man's fingers before rushed blindly past him into Elrond's waiting hands. She was trapped, she knew, but struggled all the more.

---End flashback---

Legolas laughed as Aragorn relayed this finding to him and shook him head. The elf nodded thoughtfully then leaned against the window frame, looking at the hobbits as they tickled the giant squid's tentacles and climbed the green, widespread branches of the lone tree by the lake.

"I see why time is your friend and enemy in suck events. It is frustrating at times," sighed Legolas.